Joanna Sykes

Born in 1979, British fashion designer Joanna Sykes graduated from Central Saint Martins with a first class honours degree in Fashion Design and Marketing in 2001. As of May 2010 she is the design director for womenswear, menswear and accessories at Aquascutum.

After graduating in 2001, Sykes spent six years assisting and consulting at Giorgio Armani in Milan, where she said she "learned a lot about fit, simplicity and fabric" by watching Armani himself at work. She also designed for Alberta Ferretti.

Sykes said that Armani's designs have been "revolutionary for women", referencing his "loose, unstructured slouchy suits and deconstructed tailoring" in particular.

In 2007, after returning from Italy, she started her eponymous label - SYKES - which quickly became a cult hit amongst fashion editors for its simple classics in luxurious fabrics, from silk T-shirts to cashmere peacoats: "Creating very simple, pared down clothes that are still interesting is very hard. When you've got a great shape in a beautiful fabric you don't need anything more. I love the idea you can take an everyday basic, like a slouchy Tee and put it in an incredible washed silk." The line was picked up by Matches almost immediately.

Sykes has stated that her stylist, Vanessa Reid, is something of a muse to her, explaining "she wears luxury in a kicked-back way - it's always selective and never overloaded.

From June 2009 to April 2010, Joanna was the head designer for Matches' in-house label Freda.

Sykes has been awarded NEWGEN sponsorship three times for her own label, SYKES.

On May 17, 2010 it was announced that Sykes would replace Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler as design director at Aquascutum after their shock departure to head-up the creative direction at Bally. "Joanna has a fantastic eye for detail and cut and produces clothes we would all want to wear - a perfect fit for Aquascutum," Belinda Earl, chief executive of Aquascutum, said. "We are also exceptionally pleased that a young British designer will continue to direct the design of this iconic brand." Of her appointment Sykes said: "To be working at the design helm of a brand with global recognition and over 150 years of history is incredibly exciting for me."

In August 2010 it was announced that she would temporarily close her signature label Sykes in order to focus her attentions on Aquascutum.

Shortly after beginning her role at Aquascutum, Sykes spoke of how her design and work ethic would fit with the British heritage brand. "People describe me as a 'refiner'. I'm not trying to create anything wild every season but just good clothes that people really want to wear," she said. "I am a real perfectionist and as excited as I am about my position I don't get swept up by the fluff. I have a job to do and I want to do that as best I can. I never think about how I'm doing, it's just onto the next thing. I find it hard to switch off - I go to bed worrying and thinking about it."

Sykes has been praised for her ability to cater for a range of women, having staged presentations for her SYKES label featuring multi-generational models, such as octogenarian Daphne Selfe and Nineties grunge icon Georgina Cooper. "I love designing for women of all ages," she has said. "I want to do things for my generation, but I love it that my friends' mums come to my sample sales and buy like crazy, too. I love making clothes an older woman can feel chic and modern in - not mumsy."

In June 2012, Sykes left her job as design director of Aquascutum.

The following month in July 2012 Nicole Farhi announced that it had appointed Sykes as its creative director."I am extremely excited at the prospect of joining Nicole Farhi," Sykes said. "It is an iconic, British brand with fantastic heritage and enormous potential. I can't wait to get started."